Efficient
by creativeone13
Summary: Arthur is nothing if not efficient.  However, when it comes to checking in on the newest member of the team, is he simply doing his job, or is the point man  perhaps unknowingly  mixing business with pleasure?  Takes place right after the movie
1. Chapter 1

A/N – I saw Inception a few days ago and it was so amazing. Afterward, I couldn't stop this story from popping up in my head. We saw what happened after Cobb left the airport, but what about the point man and the architect? This story is a work in progress so if you have any comments about the characters or storyline feel free to let me know =)

If you were to ask the few individuals who knew him, the first word they would use to describe Arthur would be efficient. Eames might then go on to add a few other colourful adjectives, but not even he could deny the point man's effectiveness. No matter the situation, the team could count on Arthur to deal with it in an effectual, businesslike manner. It was his dedication to his job that led him to follow Ariadne's cab, a trip that ended at the hotel Arthur had booked ahead for her. She was new, and would need to be checked in and debriefed in the aftermath of the Fischer assignment. It was his job to check on her, he thought to himself. This was strictly a business meeting… although he had never had to reassure himself so much before past meetings like this. Must just be the after effects of a job as big as this one, or something logical and reasonable like that.

As Ariadne got out of her taxi, he saw looks of disbelief and doubt cross her face as she gazed at the very expensive looking building looming before her. Chuckling at this, Arthur wondered if Ariadne would ever splurge on anything with her newly acquired funds, or ever get out of her 'starving student' lifestyle. Every job paid handsomely, but this one better than any before, given the difficulty and scope. Glancing at the hotel in which he had booked both their rooms, he ran his hand through his slicked back hair. He had just wanted her to be comfortable; this was her first job, and though none of the team had gone through any actual physical exertion, mentally they would all be exhausted in the hours to come. The fact that they were in the same place was merely convenient. It was not as though he had done this for the amateur reason of wanting to stay close to her after their work was done. If Ariadne were to need anything, it would be much easier for both of them if she could just walk two minutes to a different room.

After entering the lobby, checking in, and taking the elevator up to the sixth floor, Arthur collapsed in his own room and allowed himself a rare moment of introspection. Dom had his family, Yusuf his business, and even Eames had his various (illegal) ventures to return to. Ariadne, of course, had school, and a life to return to in Paris. As for himself… well, Arthur really didn't know what he had. He supposed it was just as well that he didn't have anyone waiting to hear from him. While some might say it was a lonely sort of life, it did lend itself well to the unpredictable nature of his work. Arthur preferred to think of it as focused rather than solitary. Being completely independent made everything easier. This is what he had continually hammered into his brain for the past few years. The doubts usually came during times like these - times spent lying on foreign beds by himself after the team had gone their separate ways. These brief periods of isolation hadn't been so bad in the beginning. He'd had Mal and Dom at that point. When that ended in tragedy, the phrase 'life is short' had hit him, and for a limited time he'd spent his nights with other individuals who were as lonesome as he was. However, despite their best efforts to engage him, he was withdrawn, and eventually gave up on any sort of companionship altogether. This resulted in Arthur, after each job, acting as he did now. Lying back on a bed that was meant for more than one person, ruminating over his past and wondering about his future.

He supposed that things might change now. Dom wouldn't be pulling any more jobs, not for a long while at least, and Arthur couldn't blame him. He didn't really know what it was like to have a family, people that you would do and give anything for. What he did know is that if he were in Dom's position, he wouldn't jeopardize it for anything, no matter how much have craved the dreams. With Dom out of the game, Arthur did not really see himself taking anymore jobs. His friend wasn't the only extraction expert in the world, but he was the best, and working with anybody else held absolutely no appeal. He had enough money saved up in various banks around the world to last a lifetime, he was smart and attractive, but despite this, at the young age of twenty-nine, Arthur really had nothing. His family had been out of the picture from a young age, as a child he had grown up focusing on doing everything in his power to escape the hell he was living, and when he'd finally done that, he met Dom. The rest was history.

So, now what? That was the question running through Arthur's head over and over again, creating a constant loop of uncertainty, and maybe a bit of fear. He hated the unknown. As the point man, he had planned everything ten steps in advance, and even when he had been between jobs, he knew that in a couple months Dom would contact him and it would be business as usual. This though, this was different. Indeterminate. Quite frankly, he wasn't quite sure what he would do with himself. Realization that this was an opportunity, and he could now create a real life for himself was slowly hitting him, but this was fraught with problems. Where would he go? What would he do? One thing he did know was that he didn't want to spend his life like this, in his own personal limbo that he lived after jobs. It seemed like, at least for a while, he was not required as a point man. Too bad he really didn't know what else to do with himself.

Sitting up to look at the clock, Arthur realized it had been half an hour since he had first entered his room. Feeling the fatigue start to set in, he hoped he hadn't left checking in on Ariadne too long. If, with all his experience, he was already feeling this tired, the young architect must be exhausted, especially considering how far down into the dream she'd travelled. Silently reproaching himself for getting lost in his thoughts, Arthur hoped Ariadne would still be awake in her room so he could check on her. It was his last duty as point man for this job, and quickly pulling on his jacket, he moved at a brisk pace down a floor to her room. Knocking on the door, Arthur prepared himself. After all, he was nothing if not efficient.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N – Wow everyone, thanks for the great response, it really means a lot, and definitely motivated me to get this up as quick as I could! Here's chapter 2 – keep in mind that as time goes on they are both getting progressively tired. Let me know what you think (reviews apparently make my fingers type faster =P )

Roused from her musings by a knock on the door, Ariadne rose from the edge of the bed and moved to look through the peephole. After everything she'd just gone through, she figured a little caution wouldn't hurt, and she wasn't expecting any visitors, so who could it be? Glancing through, she felt a flutter of excitement when she saw Arthur standing there, looking cool and collected as usual. Wow, he really wore those suits well, she noticed not for the first time. And then suddenly she snapped out of it – why was she spying on him through a peephole and not opening the door for him? That was really quite rude, given the fact that he was the one that had made it possible for her to stay in this.

"Shut up and don't make a fool of yourself," she thought to herself, and with that, turned the lock and opened the door.

Arthur was still standing there, looking quite calm, which surprised Ariadne, considering how long she had taken opening the door.

"Hello," he said with a small smile, cocking his head to the side slightly. "Can I come in?"

"Of course, " she said, stepping aside quickly. He nodded in thanks, moving into the room.

He could see where she'd been sitting by the mussed sheets on the bed beside the nightstand, where a gold chess piece lay on its side.

"Been sitting there and testing your totem the entire time?" he asked, gesturing towards the object in question.

"How did you-?"

"We all do it Ariadne, and after a job like Fischer's…" He let the sentence trail off, but she knew what he meant. The constant questioning she'd been subjecting herself to, the repetitive motions of flicking the chess piece over, just to set it upright again so that she could repeat the motion. Curious, she let her eyes sweep over Arthur, and realized he had had his right hand in his pocket since he'd arrived. She'd bet the entirety of her earnings that the red loaded die was in there, assuring the point man that this was reality.

"Ariadne," he said, bringing her out of her thoughts, "I'm here to go over a few post-job things with you. Will you sit please?" As she moved to her previous position on the side of the bed, he took a seat in a chair across from her, sitting back and crossing one leg over his knee. She, on the other hand, leaned forward with her elbows resting on her knees, the gold totem resting in her hands like an offering.

Seeing the fatigued look in the girl's eyes, Arthur figured that he'd better make this quick before exhaustion claimed her entirely. He wasn't in great shape himself.

"So," he said, getting down to business, "as you were told, the money you earned has been wired into the account we opened for you before we left Paris." Seeing her nod, he pressed on, hoping to keep this debriefing quick and concise. "Do not try and contact anybody from the team, for at least a few months. We wouldn't want anybody making a connection between us and Fischer, especially considering what he's about to do with his new empire. I've booked this room for you for three days, which should be enough for you to recover from the side effects that, if I'm not mistaken, you are already feeling. After going into a dream that deeply, you should be feeling quite tired and weak, despite the fact that you were sleeping the entire time."

"Aren't you tired as well?" she asked suddenly, catching him off guard. He didn't know why he found this question so strange – then he realized that in all the years he'd been doing this, she was the only person other than Dom who had shown any type of concern, or at the very least, interest, in how he was. Everyone else had just assumed he was fine. He was the point man after all, and his job didn't end after they woke up.

Yes, he was exhausted, and the bed she was sitting on looked so very inviting. But sleeping in Ariadne's bed would not be professional, and he had a job to do.

"I'm fine," he replied laconically.

He may have been imagining it, but Arthur thought he saw her face fall as he brushed off her question. What was she expecting? Yes they got along well, and he thought she was a great girl. But she was also a coworker, and he was on the job. He wondered if she had ever thought about the kiss they'd shared – he couldn't deny that seeing her face, and those lips, brought it to mind. He could imagine doing it again, closing the distance between them with one stride, running a hand through her hair while the other held the loaded die in his pocket that promised him he was in reality. However much he tried to suppress the thought, it would not disappear. It could never become a reality though. His life was empty, full of problems and uncertainty. He couldn't bring her into that, no matter how much he wanted to. She had a great life. Going to school for something she loved, and a family he assumed, though she'd never mentioned them to him.

Sighing and passing a hand through his own hair, he realized how tired he actually was. It wasn't because of the feat they had just pulled, but rather all the assignments throughout the years. It was his job to make sure people got what they wanted, and he was good at it. Therefore, it was kind of funny that when it came to his own life and the things he wanted, he got nothing. He was tired of his life, he supposed.

Ariadne had watched his face throughout this silence, observing the minute changes. What could he be thinking of, and focusing that hard on? It couldn't be the business he had come on. She was sure that over the years he'd run countless debriefs. He could do them in his sleep – in fact, he looked so tired that he practically was. Maybe tired was not the word for him though. In her eyes, he looked more worn.

She wished he would lose the point man persona, if only for the moment, and just be Arthur. Arthur was the man she had kissed, not some cold, hard professional. She admired how dedicated he was, to be sure. The job would have been impossible without him. But the job was over now, and based on the silence, she figured her debriefing was as well. Even though her eyelids felt like lead weights, and her brain like mush, Ariadne decided that she would get through to Arthur. Cobb had seen her stubborn side, and now it seemed as though Arthur would too… perhaps a little bit of cunning as well. She hadn't lived in Paris for years without picking up a few things, and she did know that closeness couldn't hurt in a situation like this. Yawning, she shifted back onto the bed a bit more, so that her feet no longer touched the ground.

"That chair cannot be very comfortable. I've never understood why nice places have horribly uncomfortable furniture. This bed though, this bed is very agreeable. Why don't you come sit over here, just for a minute, then you can go back to your room?"

Arthur was not too tired to realize that Ariadne was up to something. One day he would have to teach her about subtlety. Not now though. If she wanted him there beside her he would go. His will to fight, to deny that this was what he wanted, was gone. Besides, his sitting on a bed beside Ariadne would not screw up her life. He could leave after, and no harm would be done. Standing up, he crossed the short distance to the bed, and sat down.

Deciding to push it one step further, Ariadne reclined back onto the bed, waiting to see he he'd follow suit. Sighing, Arthur removed his jacket, laying it at the end of the bed before shifting back and laying down, trying not to think of the smile that grew on Ariadne's face as he did so. This was only for a minute, he told himself. The two faced each other, not seeming to notice that they were lying sideways on a bed with no pillows or blankets. That did not matter for long though. They were both sound asleep within moments of their heads hitting the mattress.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N – I just realized I've forgotten to do this in the previous chapters, but I don't own Inception, or Ariadne, or –sigh- Arthur. Sad day. But on the bright side, all of you guys reading are amazing, and I'm loving the reviews I've been getting! Sorry I haven't updated, my friend has been in the hospital, but he's out now, and here's chapter 3!

The first thing Arthur saw when he woke up the next morning was both beautiful and terrifying. Beautiful because it was Ariadne, lying on her side, her body unconsciously curled towards his. Terrifying for the same reason. What had he done, staying with her last night? All they had done was sleep, but still, it was very unprofessional, and that was not a characteristic Arthur had much experience with. Sighing inwardly, so as not to wake her, he contemplated his companion. She looked so at peace when she slept; it was something he had first noticed back in the warehouse in Paris. Her hair was fanned out around her head in amber waves, reflecting the small fragments of light that had managed to fight through the curtains. Her lips, those wonderful lips, were curved at the corners in a small smile. Arthur was glad. The Fischer case had been more of a nightmare than a dream, and she deserved happiness. She deserved everything in the world. It was the reason that his staying last night was so foolish.

He wasn't blind. Ariadne's behavior definitely indicated that she was, at the very least, interested in the idea of him as more than a coworker. He would be lying to himself if he said that after getting to know her (and after that kiss) he wasn't interested as well. The problem was that it just wasn't an option. She had good things going for her, and he… well, let's face it, he was a criminal, and a bit of a mess.

How had he let this happen? For years Arthur had maintained his distance from coworkers. It was a survival skill as much as anything. Nash hadn't been the first person he'd worked with who had met an unfortunate end, and if Arthur had been close to him, seeing the old architect dragged away from that helicopter would've killed him. The world of extraction was a dangerous one, and having personal attachments was unwise. If any of his enemies even remotely suspected that they could use Ariadne to get back at him, and followed through… if anything happened to her because of him, he would never be able to forgive himself. Yes, it had been Dom who introduced her to dream sharing, but then she'd been given to Arthur to mentor and train. To protect.

If he left her, there was the chance she'd get hurt. No, Ariadne wasn't the innocent girl she'd been before meeting Dom in Paris, but she wasn't as hardened as the rest of them were. His job wasn't over yet. The point man was responsible for all aspects of the team, including their well-being. If anything happened to Ariadne, that was on him. She was the best architect he'd ever seen, even better than Dom. Not only that, she had also saved the entire job he'd heard. If Arthur allowed anything to happen to her, and she was unavailable for future jobs (though the chances of future jobs were slim to none) Dom would be livid. He believed his boss had also grown fond of her, and would care on a personal level. Hell, the whole team would. During their time in Paris, she had bonded with the other members of the team. She had been Dom's therapist, Yusuf's late night company and sounding board, and Eames' audience during his Browning impersonation practice. She had become everyone's little sister, everyone's but his. Not that that factored into his decision. He'd already justified it to himself. Staying with Ariadne would be like protecting an investment, a wise business decision. Just part of the job.

As he thought this, the 'investment' lying beside him started to wake, and he realized that opening her eyes to find him staring at her might be a little disconcerting. Sitting up slowly, he turned his head to see her looking at him confusedly.

"Arthur?" she asked, in a rather disbelieving manner. Fair enough. He had been slightly confused at the first sight to meet his eyes as well.

"Good morning," he replied, clearing his throat. Now to do some damage control, and make this situation less awkward than it had the potential for being.

"Wha-"

"Ariadne, some things have come up, and I have matters to discuss with you. But first I am going to head back to my room to shower and change, and I'm sure you would like to do the same… In here, that is, in your room. Anyways, if you're agreeable, I'll meet you back here in an hour?" Seeing her nod in understanding, Arthur hurriedly grabbed his jacket from where he'd placed it last night and walked out of the room. Could he have messed that up anymore? Good going, really smooth. Ugh, he just hoped that she had still been in the process of waking up and hadn't noticed.

Reaching his door, he inserted the key in a much-practiced motion and moved inside, stripping off his layers and stepping into the shower right away. As the hot water hit him, he let his mind wander away from work. Running his hands through his wet, slicked back hair, he thought about how good it would feel if it was Ariadne- He froze. Why was he doing this to himself? Nothing could happen.

Nothing would happen.

As he dried off and got dressed, Arthur glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost time to meet Ariadne. Feeling as though this was very similar to last night, he told himself that it wouldn't end up like that. He would be professional. Still, when she opened the door to his knock minutes later, dressed in a simple green sundress and smiling at him expectantly, he couldn't stop the feeling of delight from welling up. He experienced this rarely – satisfaction better described the usual 'positive emotion' that he felt when jobs went his way and the like. But with her standing in front of him like this… Well, when he smiled in greeting, it wasn't simply a courteous, let's do business kind of smile. Despite that, the fact remained that there was still business to be dealt with. However, that didn't necessitate staying in one of their rooms, or even within the hotel.

"Would you like to get some breakfast?" he asked nonchalantly, though internally he didn't feel the coolness he portrayed.

"Sounds good to me," she agreed, and a feeling of relief washed over him. This was definitely shaping up to be an interesting day, and Arthur could only imagine how she would react when he proposed his plan to her.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N – I don't own Inception =( But the people who awesomely read this story and tell me they like it turn my frown upside down, so here's chapter 4 !

Stepping out of the huge hotel and into the bright Los Angeles sun, Ariadne decided that while she was here she was going to enjoy it, and soak everything in. Tomorrow she would leave to go back to Paris. She'd put off school long enough - any longer and even she would have a hard time catching up. There was no need to think about that now though. Now was about enjoying the moment, and as far as moments go, this one was pretty great. It was a beautiful day out and she felt more rested than she had in a while. There was also the fact that beside her walked the very brilliant and handsome man she'd woken up next to this morning.

She really hadn't expected him to stay. The moment he left her room she had scrambled for her totem, and even after flicking it over a dozen times she still found it hard to believe. The Arthur that Ariadne had worked with would've waited until she was asleep, left a note with any further instructions, and disappeared. She would never have seen that Arthur again. It would've crushed her. Now looking at her companion, she realized he looked more relaxed than she'd ever seen him, a very good sign. Wearing a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and some khaki dress pants, he looked as though he'd stepped off of a magazine cover.

"So, shall we get some coffee? The front desk said there was a good place a few minutes away." Arthur's voice broke into her thoughts, not that she minded.

"Sure, coffee sounds really good right now." As if on cue, a yawn escaped her lips.

"Still tired?"

"Not as tired as yesterday, but still not one hundred percent. How about you?"

"I'm getting there. It'll take less time for me to get back to normal than you."

"Lucky," Ariadne laughed.

"Sometimes," he said with a smile. She had an amazing laugh. "But everything comes with pros and cons."

The fresh air and walking had invigorated the young architect, and she felt slightly daring. Hoping that this environment might make a certain somebody a lot more open than usual, she posed a question.

"Arthur, if you had one wish, and could have anything in the world - anything at all, what would you wish for?"

The question was so out of the blue, so direct, so random, that he was taken aback for a moment. What did he say to that? He couldn't tell her anything that he actually wished for. That he had wished for a normal life for as long as he could remember, both before and after meeting Dom. That he wished he were a better person, and not a criminal. That he wished that he could deserve Ariadne. No, he really couldn't tell her what he would wish for.

"I wouldn't mind dreaming again. The normal way, that is," he answered resignedly. Let her take what she will from that. By the look on her face he could tell her brain was already working to dissect his response.

Before Ariadne could ask another question, Arthur stopped at a shop, the mouthwatering smell of coffee wafting through the open door.

"This must be it," he said, "after you."

Smiling in thanks, she entered the building, and immediately felt better as the strong scent of caffeine enveloped her. Now grinning like an idiot, she turned to Arthur.

"Coffee was a very good idea. Way to use those point man skills of yours in a normal, low-pressure situation."

"Doesn't take much to make you happy, does it," he replied, matching her joking matter.

"No, it really doesn't," she answered, her tone more sincere than joking this time.

Sensing that this could very easily go down a direction Arthur didn't want to go down, he looked to the menu board, and away from the searching brown eyes beside him. After the lady behind the counter took their order (two large coffees, and two scones), she inquired whether they would like it for there or to go.

Looking at Ariadne, "You're the architect," was all Arthur said, indicating that she should pick the setting.

"To go, please," she answered decisively, keeping to her plan of enjoying the sun, and after receiving their breakfast, the two made their way back outside.

"So, where to?" Arthur asked after a sip of coffee.

"East."

After that statement, the pair started down the sidewalk. They walked in a comfortable silence, both realizing how hungry they were and concentrating on that. Perhaps that was the reason their destination seemed to suddenly appear I front of the two, but in what felt like mere moments, they suddenly stood in sand.

Ariadne hadn't told Arthur about 'waking up' in limbo, sputtering out seawater as the surf crashed into her body. She hadn't kept it from him purposely, but in the limited time they'd seen each other since disembarking the plane it just hadn't come up. That was probably just as well. He may have tried to stop her, or talk her out of this potentially upsetting plan. But she had needed to do this, face hearing the familiar sound of waves crashing against the shore, feel the way the sand moved beneath her. She had needed to make sure she would be okay. If she could face a beach without panicking for her totem, anything else would be fine. Turning towards Arthur with an amused look, she kicked off her shoes, picked them up, and then started towards the water. She didn't feel worried. She felt free.

Seeing her like this, Arthur wished he didn't have to talk business. Following in the footprints Ariadne left behind in the sand, he caught up to where she stood, her gaze upon the horizon, body still as a statue. Her hair being blown by the wind the only thing that moved. She looked as though she belonged here. Hell, she looked as though she belonged everywhere that she went. As for himself… Maybe one day he'd find a place to belong. This idea of his was a place to start. Time to get that into the open.

"So, when do you leave for Paris?" Arthur asked, trying to seem nonchalant.

"Tomorrow afternoon, but I'm guessing you already knew that?" she replied with a smile and a slightly raised eyebrow, as if daring him to deny it.

He did know - of course he did, it was his job, wasn't it? Clearing his throat, he decided that he would get right to it. After all, this was Ariadne, and clearly she saw through his attempts at small talk. He had brought her out to talk about 'matters' as he had told her, and clearly she was ready to do so. Therefore, he nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I knew. I knew because that will be my flight as well, if you're okay with that?" Seeing the confusion upon her face, Arthur decided to get right too it.

"I was thinking I'd stay in Paris for a bit. Dom's out of the game now, and everybody else has gone back to their lives. I have nothing though… the job, Dom, that was it. So I was thinking I might head back to Paris with you and start something there. If that's okay?" That speech had been a lot less business and a lot more personal feeling than he'd initially intended it to be. He just hoped it hadn't pushed her away at all.

It was a moment before she responded. Ariadne had run the entire thing through her head again, making sure that she'd heard him right. He wanted to go to Paris. With her. He wasn't disappearing off the face of the planet. Essentially, he was breaking all of his own rules.

"What about your rules - not being seen together, or having anything to do with other members of the team?" she asked, not accusingly, but rather curious as to what had changed.

Arthur hadn't been expecting that one. He didn't really have a prepared answer to give.

"I know what I said," he replied, deciding just to go with the truth. "I guess Dom rubbed off on me when it comes down to doing things you've said not to. And I really don't have anywhere else to go. I wasn't kidding when I said that I have nothing left now that the job is gone."

"You don't have nothing." Her reply was so quiet that the sounds of the ocean almost stole it away. But he was sure she had said that he didn't have nothing.

Ariadne hadn't meant to say that out loud. Damn. All right, now to move on like it hadn't happened and hope he hadn't heard.

"So, we're on the same flight? Where are you sitting?"

"Well, I booked two tickets. So if you want to cancel yours… I think you would be a much better seatmate than most people I've encountered on planes." There, that was the balance between personal and business that he needed.

"Alright, well at the risk of missing out on my own 'interesting' seatmate, I think I'll accept your offer," she replied laughing.

"Good," he said, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off of him. What a relief she hadn't said no, to any of it really. Now he could go back with her, and while in Paris make sure that she was safe. Maybe he could even go out to coffee with her, as friends as opposed to co-workers? Standing on the beach with her, nothing seemed impossible, or as life or death serious as he was used to.

"Come on, we only have a day left. Let's go see what's down here! I don't want to regret anything when I'm stuck on a plane for ten and a half hours tomorrow."

As Arthur watched her walk down the beach, he realized that neither did he.


End file.
